Pin wheel feeding unit



Dec. 10, 1957 c. STORER 2,815,672

PIN WHEEL FEEDING UNIT Filed March 26, 1953 INVENTOR. CLARK STORER ii I' ATTORNEY United Sttes PatetitO PIN WHEEL FEEDING UNIT Clark Storer,Miamishurg, Ohio Application March 26, 1953, Serial No. 344,700

15 Claims. (Cl. 74-243) (Filed under Rule 47(b) and 35 U. S. C. 118)'This invention relates to strip feeding devices, and more particularlyto pin wheel feeds as used in typewriting and likemachines to positivelyfeed marginally punched manifold stationery.

In pin wheel feeding devices of the kind described, it is desirable thateach pin wheel feeding unit have an integrated unitary construction,with means being provided for rendering each unit selectively effectiveand ineffective, and further that each unit may be adjustable so thatthe feeding pins will protrude only at such circumferential area as isproper or necessary to engage the strip.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well asthe means and mode of operation of pin wheel feeding units, whereby suchunits may not only be economically manufactured, but will be moreefiicient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety ofapplications, having relatively few parts and be unlikely to getout ofrepair.

The instant invention proposes a feeding unit having an improved andsimplified construction and mode of operation in the above notedrespects and it is a general object of the invention to provide afeeding unit so characterized.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feeding unit of theclass described adjustable to cause'the feeding pins to protrude in anyone of a series of circumferential positions and further adjustable torender the feeding unit alternatively eifective and ineffective in anyof the first mentioned adjustment positions.

A further object of the invention is to utilize in a feeding unit asdescribed a flexible control member for the feeding pins which can bedeformed as desired to effect extension of the feeding pins in anydesired circumferential area and which further may be permitted toassumea normal or neutral condition in which none of the feeding pinsare projected or extended.

Still another object of the invention is to present a generally newstrip feeding device of unusual simplicity of operation andaccessibility of adjustment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pin wheel feeding unitpossessing the advantageous structural features, the inherentmeritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will morefully appear in the specification, the invention intended to beprotected by Letters Patent Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal sectiontaken substantially along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section taken substantially along the lines3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the feedingunit inneutral or ineffective position.

Fig. 5 is a view like Fig. 2, showing the parts as positioned in Fig. 4;and

Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspective ofthe cam lever adjusting means.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe several views.

Referring to the drawings, a fragment of a shaft 9 is shown, which shaftmay serve as a platen support and be suitably mounted in the carriage ofa typewriting machine or the like for rotary motion. Mounted on theshaft 9 is a pin wheel feeding unit and it will be understood that astrip feeding apparatus may comprise one or a plurality of such feedingunits.

The shaft 9 is formed with a keyway 10, a key 11 I beingreceived in thekeyway 10 and serving to connect a pinwheel body 12 to the shaft 9 forunison rotary and body 12 for feeding engagement with a strip ofmaterial in overlying relation to the flange 14.

Theholes 15 are positioned at the inner end of the flange 14, or thatend adjacent to the radial wall 13. The opposite or outer end of theflange 14 is formed with countersink 17 in whichis seated a peripheralflange on a disc 18. The disc 18 has a central opening receiving abushing 19which-is an integral sleeve-like extension of the body 12 anda threaded portion on which a nut 21 is installed externally to the disc18, it being understood that the nut 21 serves to hold the disc 18 to aseat in the countersink 17 consists of the features of construction, theparts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, asv

hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, ortheir equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein 1 found the preferred butobviously not necessarily the only In the outer facethereof, the disc 18has a circufn-' ferential series of tapped recesses 22. .Rotatablymounted on the nut 21 is an arm 23 which extends radially of the shaft 9and is forked at its outer end to engage a cross rod 24 which is a fixedpart of the typewriter carriage. I Intermediate its ends, the arm 23 isformed with a slot 25 occupying the same relative radial position as thetapped recesses 22. Mounted in'the slot 25 is a set screw 26. If thescrew 25 is allowed to enter any one. of the tapped recesses 22 and isthen tightened down upon the arm 23 it will be evident that the resultis to hold the disc 18 against rotary motion relative to the arm 23.

The internal face of the disc 18 is formed with a generally annulargroove .27 having the eccentric shape shown in Figs. 3 and 4 anddefining a central boss 28. Received in the groove 27, in surroundingrelation to the boss 28, is a control member for the feeding pins 16 inthe form of a. relatively broad flexible band 2'52, made of V flatspring steel; One Slde ed'ge of the band29 projects beyond the boss 28and has a common engagement with the feeding pins 16, being received intransverse notches 31 thereof. The feeding pinsle are received inradial: grooves 32 in the Wall 13 of the body 12, and may moveradially'in such grooves underthe influence of the control the body 12band 29 in response to rotary motion of relative to the disc 18. p v

The band 29 tends normally to occupy the position shown in Fig. 4wherein it has a circular formation andf f is approximately concentricwith respect to the shaft 9 With the band 29 so formed there is littleorno radial Patented Dec. 10, 1957 V motion of the feeding pins 16 inresponse to rotation of the body 12 and it may be further noted thatin'this position of the parts and the feeding unit is ineffective sincenone of the pins 16 project through the openings 15 or above the surfaceof the flange 14; I I

The feeding unit is rendered effective through adjust ment of a camlever 33 which is mounted on apin' 34 extending through the disc 18 andconnected outside. the disc 18 to a small finger operated lever 35. Thelever 33 is shaped substantially as a segment of a disc with the outersurface thereof defining an arccorresponding to the normal curvature ofthe band 29. I As shown in Fig. 4, the lever 33 may be received in a cutout portion 36 of the boss 23 and when so positioned is ineffective withrespect to the band 29. Through'manipulation of the lever arm 35,however, the lever 33 may be rotated through a distance of aboutl80 tothe position shown in Fig. 3, in the course of which motion the lever 33engages the band 29, moving it first to engage a part of the band withthe boss 28 and then elongating the diametrically opposed portion of theband into the eccentric portion of the groove 27 to produce theeccentric shape illustrated in Fig. 3. With the control band 29 sopositioned, a relative rotary motion of the body 12 carries the feedingpins 16 about the control band which projects and retracts the pins in aprogressive manner within a localized area which may be termed the areaof pin extension.

Such area of extension may be predetermined to occur in anycircumferential portion of the flange 14. To change such area ofextension, the set screw 26 is loosened and the disc 18, carrying thelever 33, is turned relatively to the body 12 to the desired position.Such movement will bring one or another of the tapped openings 22 of thedisc 18 within the area of the slot 25. The adjustment screw 26 can beinserted in such opening and tightened as before described. The disc 18,since it supports the band 29 and the lever 33, may be termed a supportmeans.

A plurality of control operating positions thus are possible so that thefeeding pins will protrude at the proper place to engage the strips, andit will be understood that in any of these selected positions thefeeding unit may be rendered effective or ineffective through adjustmentof the lever 33 between the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4. s

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described possessing the particularfeatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but whichobviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions,detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to structural features,it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificfeatures shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosedcomprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A pin wheel feeding device, including a plurality of pins radiallydisposed about a common center and revoluble about said center, arotatable body having radial openings receiving said pins, a ring-shapedcontinuous band made of a resilient deformable material in surroundingrelation to said center, said band being engaged with said pins andacting as a guide in the revolving motion of said pins, means forapplying a radial deforming pressure to said band to impart an eccentricshape thereto, and support means for said band and for said pressureapplying means stationaryrelatively to said body.

2. A pin wheel feeding device, including a plurality of pins radiallydisposed about a common center and pin Wheel body having radial openingstherein, feeding pins slidingly received in said openings and revolvingabout the axis of said body in response to rotation thereof, acontinuous eccentric cam guiding said feeding pins in progressiveretracting and extending radial motion in conjunction with rotation ofsaid body, said cam being made of a resilient material deformable tovary the areas of extension and withdrawal of said pins relatively tosaid body, support means for said cam stationary relatively to saidbody, and means on said support means for deforming said cam.

4. A pin wheel feeding device, including a rotatable pin wheel bodyhaving radial openings therein, a series of feeding pins received insaid'openings for revolving motion about the axis of said body inresponse to rotation of the body and capable of radial sliding motionrelatively to said body, a ring-shaped continuous guide in surroundingrelation to the axis of said body controlling the radial sliding motionof said feeding pins, said guide being made of a resilient material andtending normally to assume a cylindrical formation inhibiting radial motion of said pins, means for effecting a localized deforming of saidguide to impart a cam shape thereto effecting progressive extending andretracting radial movements of said feeding pins in conjunction withrotation of said body, and support means for said guide and for saidlast named means stationary relatively to said body.

5. A pin wheel feeding device, including a cylindrical pin wheel bodyhaving radial openings therein, a plurality of pins radially disposedabout a center concentric with the axis of said body and received insaid radial openings to project above the peripheral surface of saidbody, a continuous flexible guide band cooperatively engaged with saidpins and in surrounding relation to the axis of said body, means fordistorting said band into the shape of a cam for successively extendingand withdrawing said pins relatively to the surface of said body, andsupport means for said band and for said last named means stationaryrelatively to said body.

6. A pin wheel feeding device according to claim 5 characterized bymeans for adjusting said support means in a rotary sense relatively tosaid body.

7. A pin wheel feeding device, including a plurality of pins radiallydisposed about a common center, said pins being carried about saidcommon center in response to rotation of said body, a continuousflexible guide band in surrounding relation to said center andcooperatively engaged with said pins, means for distorting a selectedarea of said band producing a cam for extending and withdrawing saidpins in conjunction with the revolving motion thereof, and support meansfor said band and for said last named means stationary relatively tosaid body, said support means being adjustable in a rotary senserelatively to said body.

8. A pin wheel feeding device according to claim 7, characterized inthat said means includes a pressure applying element in adjacentrelation to said band and revolubly adjustable about said common centerin accompaniment with adjustment of said support means in a rotarysense.

9. A pin wheel feeding device, including a plurality of pins radiallydisposed about a common center and adjustable to effective andineffective positions, a rotatable body having radial openings receivingsaid pins, a continuous flexible guide control band for said feedingpins adjustable to alternate positions of control in one of which it hasa cylindrical formation and in the other of which it has an eccentricformation, support means for said band stationary relatively to saidbody, and means on said support means for adjusting said control band.

10. A pin wheel feeding device, including a plurality of feeding pinsradially disposed about a common center, a rotatable body having radialopenings receiving said pins, a continuous flexible guide control bandfor said feeding pins concentric with respect to said carrier andnormally assuming a contracted cylindrical formation, means fordistorting selected portions of said band to produce eccentric camshapes therein, and support means for said band and for said last namedmeans stationary relatively so said body.

11. A pin wheel feeding device, including a rotatable pin wheel bodyhaving radial openings, a plurality of feeding pins slidingly receivedin said openings and radially disposed about the axis thereof, acontinuous flexible guide control band for said feeding pins inapproximately concentric relation to said body, means for applying aradial pressure to said band in a localized area thereof to cause saidband to assume an eccentric shape, said means being selectively operableto apply and to release such pressure, and support means for said bandand for said means stationary relatively to said body.

12. A pin wheel feeding device according to claim 11, characterized inthat said support means includes a mounting for said pressure applyingmeans adjustable to a plurality of rotative positions of adjustmentrelatively to said body.

13. A pin wheel feeding device, including a rotatable pin wheel bodyhaving radial openings therein, a plurality of feeding pins slidinglyreceived in said openings and radially disposed about the axis thereof,a relatively stationary plate adjustable to a plurality of rotativepositions of adjustment relatively to said body, said plate having acentral boss in concentric relation to said body, a continuous flexibleband in surrounding relation to said boss and interengaged with saidfeeding pins as a guide for said pins, and a cam lever rotatably mountedon said plate and extending between said boss and said band, said leverbeing adjustable from a first to a second position to apply a localizedradial deforming pressure to said band and adjustable back to said firstposition to release such pressure.

14. A pin wheel feeding device, including a pin wheel body, acircumferential series of radial openings in said body, feeding pinsslidingly received in said openings, a circular continuous flexible bandsupported in normally concentric relation to said body and in guidingrelation to said pins, said body and said band being relativelyrotatable whereby to carry said pins in a path normally concentric withrespect to said body, means for deforming said band to create aneccentric path of movement of said pins, and support means for said bandand for said last named means stationary relatively to said body.

15. A pin wheel feeding device, including a rotatable body havingperipheral openings therein, a series of feeding pins slidingly receivedin said openings, control means for said pins including a normallycircular, continuous flexible band and an eccentric form into which saidband may be deformed, a support for said band and said form normallystationary relatively to said body and adjustable in a rotary sense withrespect thereto, and means on said support for deforming said band intosaid eccentric form.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,974,368 Sherman Sept. 18, 1934 2,000,650 Sherman May 7, 1935 2,102,651Sherman et al Dec. 21, 1937 2,112,833 Dybvig Apr. 5. 1938 2,268,891Mueller Jan. 6, 1942 2,487,870 Harrison Nov. 15, 1949

